Compound steam engine



(No. Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet '1.

L. PERRINE. UOMPOUND STEAM ENGINE.

- Patented Maris, 1885 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- H. L. PERRINE.

COMPOUND STEAM ENGINE.

I No. 313,366. Patented Mari s, 1885.

N. PETERS. Phofimlilhogmpher, Washmglml. 04c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. LANSING PERRINE, OF BROOKLYN, NE? YORK.

COMPOUND STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,366, dated March 3, 1885.

Application filed February'lii, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, H. LANsrNG PERRINE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compound Steam- Engines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention which I desire to secure by this patent consists of certain combinations of two initial steanrcylinders, two expansion steam-cylinders, and two slide-valves for controlling the ports of all four cylinders.

The combinations which I herein claim as my invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims at the close of this specification.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have illustrated in the annexed drawings and will proceed to describe apractieal form thereof as applied to a single compound .steam-engine, and the same form thereof as applied toa duplex compound steam-engine.

Figure 1 illustrates a single compound steamengine,partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal view, partly in section, of the'valvegearing of the slide-valve for controlling the ports of the two initial and first expansion-cylinders. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 illustrates in end View one-half of the connected heads of the first and second expansion-cylinders. Fig. 5 isa transverse section on line y g of Fig. 1.

The sameletters of reference indicate identical parts in all the figures.

The initial cylinders A A are arranged,respectively, on diametrically-opposite sides of the first expansion-cylinder, B, and may be either bolted thereto, as shown, or cast in one piece therewith. The steam-chest G, which receives the steam direct from the boiler, is mounted on the top of the expansion-cylinder B, which is constructed with the ordinary steam ports and passages 12 b and the exhaust port and passage b Two other steam-passages, a a, are formed in the first expansioncylinder, which extend from the steam-chest thereof,respectively,to near the opposite ends of said cylinder and terminate each in two branches, 0 c. The branches 0 c of passage a communicate,respectively,with steam-ports at one end of the initial steam-cylinders, as shown in Fig. 5, and the branches 0 c of passage a (the branch 0 only being visible in Fig. 1) communicate, respectively, with steamports at the other end of the initial steam-cylinders. The ports of the four steam-passages b b and a a, communicating with the steamchest O,are controlled by a single slide-valve, D, which in its general construction is of the type known as the Allen slide-valve, being constructed with a steam-passage,d, around its main exhaust-cavity d. The steam passes from the chest 0 into the steam-passages a a alternately to opposite ends of the initial steam-cylinders. and is exhausted fromsaid initial steam-cylinders through the same passages alternately, and conducted by the passage d in the slide-valve alternately through the steam-passages?) and b to the opposite ends of the first expansion-cylinder, B, from which it is exhausted through the main exhaust-cavity d of the said slide-valve D.

I have illustrated the' use of a second expansion-cylinder, E, for further utilizing the exhaust-steam from the first expansion-cylinder, B. This second expansion-cylinder is of the ordinary construction shown, its steamports being controlled by a slide-valve, F, in a steam-chest, G, to which latter the exhauststeam from the first expansion-cylinder, B,'is conducted by pipe H. The piston-rods A A B of the pistons A A B are connected to a single cross-head, I, at the front end of the engine. The piston-rods A and A extend rearward through the rear heads of the initial cylindershnd into the second expansion-cyle inder, and are connected to the piston E thereof. The rear head of the first expansioncylinder and the front head of the second expansion-cylinder constitute in this instance a single piece of casting of the form illustrated in the drawings, so that the first expansion cylinder and the initial cylinders and their adjuncts are supported from the front end of the second expansion-cylinder. Tie-rods K K K K are used for connecting the front end of the first expansion-cylinder with the adja cent end of the pump, of which only the end of the stuffing-box is shown in Fig. 1. Slidevalve D is moved by means of a yoke D and slide-valve F by a yoke F. The stem of yoke F is connected to the yoke D by means of a rod, F", and coupling F by means of which latter the distance between the two yokes can be accurately adj usted. The openings of the yokes are longer than the valves, as shown,as usual, so that theslidc-valves will not be shifted by the yokes until during the latter part of their motion in either direction. The slide-valves and yokes must be accurately adjusted with reference to one another, and the ports controlled by the valves, so that there may be perfect synchrony of the admission and exhaust of steam in all the cylinders. The stem of yoke K is connected by rod to the short upper arm of a lever, M, which is fulcrnmed at m to a crank, L", on a horizontal rock-shaft, L, which is supported in a suitable bearing on a frame, I, secured to the tierods K K, and which rock-shaft is operated by the cross-head I through the medium of a lever-arm, L, the upper end of which is secured to the rock-shaft while the lower slotted end is engaged by a pin on said cross-head. The lower slotted arm of lever M is connected to the outer end of the piston-rod N 2 of piston N of a small steam-cylinder, N, shown as secured to the first expansioncylinder, B. The ports of this cylinder N are controlled by a slide-valve, N in the chest N, which is supplied. with steam from the stea chest 0 through a pipe, at. The slide-valve N is operated by a tappet arranged between two horns of the valves on a rod, Niwhich is connected to a slotted arm, L", on crank L of rock-shaft L.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the position of the valve-gearing and slide-valves operated thereby at the moment of time when the pistons of the several cylinders A A B E have reachedthe end of their stroke in one direction. The slide-valves D and F are on the point of admitting steam behind the pistons to drive them in the opposite direction, having been moved to that point by the cross-head I and the intervening mechanism described. The

slide valve N of small steam-cylinder N has also been shifted so as to admit steam behind the piston N,which is just beginning its travel in the direction indicated by the arrow, and which in traveling to the other end of the cylinder turns lever M on its fulcrum n far enough to continue the movement of the slidevalves D and F until the ports controlled thereby are uncovered, as required. It will be observed that in case the pistons of the main steam-cylinders exceed their designed stroke in either direction the slide-valves D and F will be moved mechanically by the cross-head I to sufficiently uncover the ports for the admission of steam for cushioning the pistons before they can strike the cylinder-heads.

In the duplex compound steam-engine illustrated in Fig. 6, the construction, combination. and arrangement of the steam-cylinders and the slide-valves for controlling the ports thereof are the same as in the single compound-engine illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5; but the valvegearing is necessarily different, the slide-valves of either enginebeing operated from the piston-rod of the other engine. For this purpose any known mechanismsuch, for instance, as illustrated-may be employed.

Iwish it to be understood that I do not limit my claims to the special details of construction and arrangement'before described but not enumerated in the claims, since these details may be greatly varied without departing from the essential characteristics of my invention.

In an application for a United States Patent filed September 11, 1884., Serial No. 142,771, I claim all the novel features of the valve-gearing shown and described herein.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of two initial steam-cylinders, an expansion steam-cylinder, the piston-rods of said three cylinders coupled toasingle cross-head, and a second expansion steam-cylinder, the piston of which is secured to tw o rods projecting respectively from the pistons of the two initial steam-cylinders.

2. In a compound steam-engine, the combination, substantially as before set forth,- of two initial steam cylinders, an expansion steam-cylinder between them, a single valve for controlling the ports of said three steamcylinders, a second expansion steam-cylinder at one end of the said other three steam-cylinders, and a valve coupled to the first-mentioned valve for controlling the ports of the second expansion-cylinder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

H. LANSING PERRINE.

\Vitnesses:

C. A. NEALE, W. M. HANNAY. 

